Exploring teacher-student relationships and teacher questioning strategies in tertiary ESOL classes in Bangladesh

Abstract

Teacher questioning as a means of fostering interaction in second language classrooms is common, but in Bangladeshi tertiary ESOL contexts, hesitation, limited response or non-response are common among students. This paper examines the emotional experiences that students undergo when teachers question them and the factors that affect their responses and how teachers view student reluctance. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with students and teachers employing a qualitative approach to gain a closer insight into classroom practices. The results show that students often feel anxiety, nervousness and fear of being evaluated negatively when responding to questions. These emotional responses normally result in stuttering, speech blockage and silence despite the students being knowledgeable of the answers. The study also identifies the main pedagogical factors that influence participation including the style of questioning, wait-time and teacher student relationships. It was discovered that open-ended questions and wait-time were more effective to elicit more confident answers, whereas supportive and non-judgmental attitudes of teachers lowered anxiety. Even though teachers recognized emotional barriers, they occasionally explained silence by language barriers. In general, the results indicate that silence is a situational reaction that depends on emotional and interactional influences and is not the result of inability. It is suggested that teachers ought to employ positive, open-ended questioning techniques and sufficient wait-time to minimize anxiety and promote active student learning.